October 6, 2013, Sunday - Second Story Reading Series: Molly Beth Griffin and Mary Casanova at The Loft

Time: 2:00pm

Location: The Loft Literary Center, Performance Hall,1011 Washington Ave

Second Story Reading Series: Molly Beth Griffin and Mary Casanova

Volunteer curated by children’s authors Swati Avasthi and Heather Bouwman, Second Story is the Loft’s reading series for young adult, middle-grade and picture book authors. Perfect for families and readers of all ages, Second Story pairs an up-and-coming author with a more established voice in children’s literature.

October's Second Story event pairs authors Molly Beth Griffin and Mary Casanova. Molly Beth Griffin is a graduate of Hamline University’s MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults and a teaching artist at the Loft. Her first picture book, Loon Baby, came out with Houghton Mifflin in 2011, and her first YA novel, Silhouette of a Sparrow, was published by Milkweed Editions in 2012 and is now out in paperback. Her novel was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award and the Minnesota Book Award and was featured on ALA’s Rainbow List and the Amelia Bloomer list of feminist literature. She’s in the thick of revising a new YA novel, and has a second picture book deal in the works. Mary Casanova is the author of over 30 books, ranging from her newest picture book, One-Dog Sleigh, to her YA novel, Frozen, set on Rainy Lake, where Mary makes her home. Her books frequently land on state reading award master lists; this year in Minnesota, The Klipfish Code is a Maud Hart Lovelace nominee and The Day Dirk Yeller Came to Town is a Star of the North nominee. Her many awards include the ALA “Notable,” Parent’s Choice “Gold” Award, Booklist “Editor’s Choice” and two Minnesota Book Awards. Her American Girl books inspired two movies: Chrissa Stands Strong (HBO) and McKenna, Ready to Fly! (Universal Studios).